Forever Christmas One-Shot
by radpineapple
Summary: Just a fluffy Christmas story about Henry and Adam.


Forever Christmas One-Shot

 **A/N: The idea of Henry getting trapped under a frozen lake comes from the absolutely brilliant Hannah Lynn McDonald; it is not my idea. I am using her idea with her permission. Please check out her stories; she is a true genius. Enjoy the story and thank you tons for reading!**

 **Merry Christmas!**

"Stop worrying about it, Henry!" Abe chided. He walked over to where Henry was staring distractedly out of one of the antiques shop windows. The shop was festively decorated for the holidays. Tinsel lined the walls and an ornamented Christmas tree stood in one of the corners of the room.

Henry sighed, "How can I stop worrying when I know Adam is out there?" Henry turned to face his son.

Abe sighed. A few weeks ago, a fire had broken out in the hospital that housed Adam. Unfortunately, Adam had died in the fire, and he hadn't made an appearance since. It was driving Henry insane.

"Look, Henry," Abe said. "It's almost Christmas and you need to relax. Weren't you invited to a Christmas party anyways? What are you doing here?"

"What if Adam comes back when I'm gone? I couldn't live with myself if he did something to you."

"Henry, nothing's gonna happen to me. Besides, Adam won't hurt me."

"How do you know that?"

"Remember when he gave me the ledger with the names of my birth parents on it? The one from Auschwitz?"

Henry nodded.

"I think he gave me that because he feels a sort of bond with me because we both suffered during the war. I don't think he'd hurt me, Henry." Abe could see that Henry was starting to cave. "And besides, isn't Jo going to be at the party?"

Henry relented, "Fine, Abraham. I'll go." Henry paused, "The party is located on the outskirts of town. I'd be a bit far from home."

"Dad, I'm almost seventy years old. I think I can take care of myself."

"Fine, fine, you win. I'll go."

"You'd better hurry," Abe warned. "It's almost five o' clock. Doesn't the party start at six?"

Henry smiled at Abe as he grabbed his coat and quickly put on one of his signature scarves.

"I'll see you soon," Henry promised.

O

Henry had not been lying when he had said that the party was located on the outskirts of town. He had been riding in a cab for nearly two hours. They had travelled so far away from the city that the cab was moving along a gravel road. Henry had seen very few buildings in the past hour, and knew he was getting quite far from home. He hoped Abe was alright. As the sunlight faded, it began to snow. Henry smiled. He loved the snow.

Suddenly, a large deer jumped in front of the cab. The cab driver stomped on his breaks and tried to swerve and avoid the deer, but he was unaccustomed to driving on gravel, so the vehicle skidded across the gravel at an alarming rate. The cab was pitched off the road and slammed directly into a tree on Henry's side of the car. A tree branch had somehow managed to break through the glass as the car hit the tree, and the tree branch lodged itself into Henry's abdomen. Henry died instantly.

O

Henry woke up and gasped for air, but his lungs were immediately filled with water. He coughed and reached for the surface, but felt something blocking his way. Henry was unable to breath, so he drowned. He reawakened, but this time he made sure to hold his breath. He felt for the surface and was met by something hard and cold. Ice. He was trapped under a frozen pond. He banged the ice as hard as he could, but he was unable to break it before he drowned again.

This hellish cycle continued for what seemed like days, but it could've just as well have been a few hours. Henry had no idea how long he had been trapped under the ice. After what felt like an eternity later, he finally burst through water instead of hitting the ice. He gasped in surprise and relief.

"This is for trapping me in my own body," a voice said. Henry felt something cold, metallic, and rough slice through his throat. He could only manage to gurgle in surprise before he died yet another time.

Henry broke through the water again, and felt someone pulling him out of the water. He was immediately covered in a blanket. Henry spun to face his killer and/or rescuer.

"Adam!" Henry exclaimed.

"Come to the fire," Adam said gesturing to a fire at the edge of the frozen pond.

Henry opened his mouth to protest.

"Don't be a fool!" Adam said. Henry couldn't tell if he was angry, annoyed, or both. "You'll die of hypothermia if you don't come quickly."

Henry knew Adam was right, and he quickly walked to the fire with Adam at his side. When they reached the fire, Adam walked over to a nearby bag, pulled out some dry clothes, and handed them to Henry.

"Put these on," Adam ordered.

Henry was obviously freezing. He was shivering uncontrollably and was holding onto the blanket that covered his shoulders for dear life, but he still paused and warily eyed the clothes Adam was handing him.

"Why are you doing this?" Henry asked breathlessly.

"Put these on or you'll die."

Henry reluctantly took the clothes from Adam and put them on. After he was fully clothed, he wrapped himself in the blanket and sat as close as he could to the fire. Henry watched Adam as he attempted to get warm. Adam was holding a long, black saw with a peculiar handle that curved out about a foot from the blade. Henry immediately identified it as the weapon that had killed him earlier.

"What is that?" Henry said, nodding to the strange saw.

Adam slowly sat down across from the slightly shivering Henry with the fire in between them.

"This is an ice saw. I'm surprised you don't have one, Henry."

"Why would I want an ice saw?"

"So you don't become trapped under a frozen pond like you just were."

Henry gazed into the fire. That had never occurred to him. He furrowed his brow and looked up at Adam.

"How did you find me?" Henry asked Adam.

"We share a condition that no other person has, Henry. Like it or not, we have a lot in common."

"We do not!"

"We're both immortals, Henry. Who else do you know truly understands you?"

"Just because we are both immortal doesn't mean we have a lot in common!"

"Oh, but I think it does," Adam said in his creepily cool manner. "Do any of your friends know what it's like to see everyone they love die? Do any of your friends know what it's like to see the same people, the same scenarios, repeat over and over again only in a different time? Do any of your friends know what it's like to grow tired of the world? Do any of your friends know what it's like to be old? Do any of your friends know what it's like to truly want to die?"

Henry searched for something to say, but he was speechless. He looked intently at Adam, but Adam just stared distantly into the fire.

"I will never become like you," Henry finally said.

Adam looked up from the fire, and what Henry saw terrified him. The look on Adam's face was full of sadness, emptiness, fear even, and utter hopelessness. It only lasted a second before Adam regained his normal calm, collected, and slightly vacant expression.

Before Adam could reply, Henry said, "I want to go home."

There was a long pause and Henry wasn't sure that Adam had heard him until Adam said, "Very well."

Adam stood up, grabbed his ice saw, grabbed his bag, and then kicked snow into the fire until it was extinguished.

"Follow me," Adam said and didn't even wait for Henry's reply and just began to quickly walk away. Henry hurriedly followed him. Adam led Henry up the road towards on old blue pick-up truck. Adam put both the bag and the ice saw into the bed of the truck. He unlocked the truck and got into the driver's seat. Henry quickly moved to the other side of the truck and got into the passenger's seat.

Adam started the car and began to drive back to New York City. About fifteen minutes into the drive, and against his best efforts, Henry fell asleep. Adam glanced sadly at Henry before returning his gaze to the road. Henry was still a young man. He hadn't experienced all of the pain, hardship, and sorrow that Adam had. Henry was still very young and innocent – almost a child to Adam.

Adam knew that all of the pain and suffering would take its toll on Henry as it once took its toll on him. Adam didn't want this to happen. Henry was the only other man in the world that was like him.

When Adam had discovered that there was another immortal in existence, it was the first time in many, many years that he had felt hope. Unfortunately, his ambition to find Henry probably ruined their chance of ever having a good relationship.

Adam sighed. Henry had asked Adam earlier how he had found Henry, and Adam had avoided answering him. The reason he hadn't answered Henry was because Adam always knew where Henry was, and Adam knew Henry would not take this well. Adam had been alone for two thousand years; he was never going to be alone again. Henry would never even come close to the loneliness that Adam had experienced.

The other reason why Adam hadn't answered Henry was because he didn't want to accept that he felt a bond with Henry that he had never felt before. He felt like he was supposed to protect Henry for some reason – like he had to be there when Henry stumbled. Almost like a father, but more like a brother. He just felt a certain protectiveness for Henry that he couldn't explain. And maybe Henry could even help Adam, too. Henry was still young; maybe his youth and innocence would help Adam find the happiness and joy that he had lost many years ago. After all, when Adam learned of Henry's existence, he had felt hope again.

Adam chanced another look at Henry. He was peacefully sleeping in Adam's clothes and still had the blanket wrapped tightly around him. Adam envied his innocence, and ironically, his young age. Henry was still considered very young to Adam. The truck hit something on the road, forcing Adam's attention away from Henry. They passed a sign along the dirt road warning drivers that there may be deer crossing in the area. They still had a few hours until they arrived in New Your City, but they both had plenty of time.

O

"Henry, we're here." Henry opened his eyes. He saw Adam looking down at him from the driver's seat of a truck. He sat up in a panic until the memories of the previous day flooded into his mind. Henry looked at his surroundings; they were parked across street from Abe's Antiques, but something was wrong. There was a police car parked outside and Henry could see Jo and Abraham talking with worried expressions on their faces. Henry opened the car.

"Henry, wait!" Adam said.

Henry gave Adam a puzzled look and opened his mouth to say something when Adam got out of the truck. Henry got out of the truck and saw Adam take something from the bed of the truck. Adam walked over to Henry's side of the truck and handed him the ice saw.

"Merry Christmas, Henry."

Henry stared mutely at the ice saw and looked up to see Adam walking over to the driver's side of the truck. Henry took this as his opportunity to leave and crossed the street, going straight towards Jo and Abe. Adam watched as Henry greeted his friends. They returned his greeting with looks of surprise and relief. Henry had probably been trapped under the ice for a few days. Jo and Abe rushed to Henry and embraced him. They all smiled as they broke apart. Jo noticed Henry holding the ice saw. She asked him something and Henry gestured for them to go inside. As Jo and Abe were entering the shop, Henry looked across the street one last time,

"Merry Christmas, Adam."

The End


End file.
